Hinge guard



y 1942- E. E; HOWE 2,284,320

HINGE GUARD Fil ed Oct. 23, 19:59

' ATTORNEY.

Patented May 26, 1942 g 3 UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE" HINGEIGUARD I V Earl E. Howe, Royal Oak, Mich.

.ApplicationOctober 23, 1939, Serial No. 300,697

1 Claim.

completely conceal such hinges when the door which theysupport is open.

In my prior applications Serial No. 200,907, filed. April 2, 1938, and Serial No. 249,866, filed January 9, 1939, which have matured into Patents Nos. 2,228,876 and 2,201,490 respectively, I have disclosed hinge'and body constructions similar to the construction with which this, invention is concerned. Such constructions include a door frame having a well or'recess in the edge which the door butts, and the hinge has a plate member mounted on the bottom wall of this well or recess. Supported by the plate member, for swinging movement about an axis located in close proximity to the bottom of the Well or recess, is a bent arm which extends through the mouth of the well or recess. The door is mounted on the outer end of the arm and because the axis of swinging movement of the arm is spaced inwardly of the door frame from the plane of the butting door and frame members the resulting swinging movement is such that the door clears the frame during opening or closing movement.

When the door is closed the well or recessis .covered and concealed, of course, but when the pants to brush the same, which of course is undesirable, and when the door is moved with clothing or other foreign articles in the well or recess the hinge becomes distorted so that the door does not hang or swing properly.

The main object of this invention, more specifically stated, is to provide guard means for closing or covering the mouth of the well or recess when the door is in its open position, to thereby overcome the objections above mentioned.

Another object is to teach alternative formations of the guard means. In this respect the invention teaches the formation of a guard which may be directly mounted on one of the moving parts of the hinge for movement into and out of the opening incident to opening and closing and a reinforcing member 5.

of the hinge, and also teaches the formation of aguard so constructed that it may swing into or out of the opening according to-the position of the hinge, and as a result'of contact of a moving hinge part therewith. The lastmentioned guard has an "added'advantage in that it may be swung aside to permit lubricating of the hinge.

Another object is to provide guard means which functions to limit winging movement of the door. 7

Other objects and advantages will become more fully apparent as reference is had to the accom panying drawing wherein my invention is illustrated, and in which:

Fig- 1 is a horizontal cross section of a frag ment of an automobile body and door, illustrating a hinge equipped with a guard,

Fig. 2 is a similar section, with the door in its open position,

Fig. 3 is a section, similar to Fig. 2, illustrating an alternative form of guard, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmental section illustrating a guard which functions also as a door check.

More particularly, l designates a hollow door pillar of an automobile body, the pillar having I an opening 2 in the edge thereof providing an entrance to the interior of the pillar. Spaced inwardly from the edge of the pillar in which the opening 2 is formed is a hinge supporting plate 3. The sides of the pillar and the plate 3 form a well or recess for the reception of the hinge parts.

The hinge comprises a main plate member 6 secured to the supporting plate 3 by screws 4 The plate member 6 supports a hinge pintle 1, arranged in close proximity to one edge thereof, and thereby disposed in close proximity to the supporting plate 3 which constitutes the bottom wall of the well or recess. Swingably supported on the pintle l is an arm 8 which extends outwardly through the opening 2. The door 9 is mounted on the outer end of the arm 8.

The arm 8 is of the hook-arm type, or, in other words, is so bent that when the door is closed one portion of the arm lies substantially parallel to or in close proximity with the plate member 6 while the portion It) extends at almost a right angle thereto and outwardly through the opening 2. The length of the first mentioned portion, which is immediately adjacent the hinge pintle l, is such thatwhen the door is swung from a closed position to an open position the portion 18 passes entirely through the opening 2. When the door is closed the arm portion Hi resides in close proximity to the edge H of the opening 2 and when the door is opened the portion l clears the edge l2 of the'opening 2. r

This formation and mounting of the hinge causes the door to swing clear of thepillar I when it; is moved to its open position. 7

With a hinge and body construction such as above described, movement of the hinge arm 8 to' a position supporting the door in an open position results in an open space between the edge H and the arm 8. This invention provides a guard for closing this space. V

The guard as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a plate having one portion [3 thereof secured to the outer face of the arm portion H! by screws l4, one of which is'shown, and having another portion l5 projecting inwardly into the pillar I.

To accommodate the projecting portion l5 the supporting plate 3 is bent to form a suitable When the door is closed the pro-' recess I6. jecting portion [5 ishoused in the pillar l and the recess 16 and when the door is opened the arm 8 carries the porti n lS into the opening Z, as illustrated in Fig; 2. a In Fig. 3 the guard H is composed of. a fiexi-' ble member mounted on the marginal edge I20, of the opening 2a and is adapted tobe swung or brushed aside through contact of the hinge arm 8a therewithl That is; the guard I! normally moves to a position closing the opening 2a when the door is open, and may be flexed to permit the bent arm 8a to enterthe pillar well or be hooked over the marginal edge [2a to retain itself thereon.

The guard l1, although flexible, prevents accidental insertion of fingers into the well or recess, and also guards against insertion of foreign elements or contact of clothing therewith. It may be forced backwardly, however, to enable access to the hinge for lubricating the same.

Fig. 4 illustrates a guard l9, similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, having a hook formation adapted toengage the hook shaped marginal edge lZb of the opening 217. The guard, in this case, has the added function of operating as a ,door check, or in other words, it functions to limit swinging movement of the door.

What is claimed is: A hinge guard for use in an assembly wherein a hinge having a bent arm is mounted in a pillar recess in such manner that one portion of the arm is swung to one side of the mouth of said recess and a second portion is swung to a position substantially parallel to the face of the pillar, said guard comprising a sheet metal plate having'one end portion adapted to be attached to said second portion of said arm and'another free end portion adapted to extend outwardly in the nature of a substantially smooth continuation of said second arm portion,'said free end portion of the plate being of a length such as to substantially completely cover the mouth of the openingwhen the second arm portion is substantially parallel to thefaceof the pillar, said free end portion terminating in a hook adapted to engage apportion of the pillar to check swingingmovement of the arm. a 7

l HOWE. 

